Men's Soccer: Schneider defies expectations, reaches the big stage

“It wasn’t immediately clear [that Schneider could make an MLS roster] until he signed the contract,” Princeton head coach Jim Barlow ’91 said. “It is really difficult to make it in an MLS team right now ... And, you know, pro scouts aren’t filling the stands at Ivy League games.”

Barlow added that the coaching staff always knew that Schneider was “a really good soccer player.” But even during his time with the Tigers, Schneider did not garner the same gaudy accolades as even his fellow teammates.

During the season in which Princeton earned the conference championship and produced the Ivy League Player of the Year — junior forward Antoine Hoppenot — along with three first-team All-Ivy selections, Schneider took a backseat with a second team selection, the first of his college career.

But Schneider’s contributions did not go unnoticed by the team.

“He’s very consistent,” senior goalkeeper Sean Lynch said. “He shows up and plays exactly the same every single game ... He’s a leader. I wouldn’t say the most vocal guy. I would say he leads by example.”

The Red Bulls selected Schneider in the second round of the MLS Supplemental Draft on Jan. 18.

After completing seven semesters at Princeton, Schneider decided to withdraw to spend the next three months training full time with the team and prove that he deserved a contract.

It was never a guarantee. Senior midfielder Josh Walburn was selected in the same round of the draft by the Philadelphia Union, though he has since been cut by the team.

“There’s a lot of pressure,” Walburn said of his time training with the Union. “You go into this new place. You don’t know anyone ... Definitely tough.”

Not only did Schneider rise to the daunting challenge of assimilating into a new team, but he did so with a certain amount of flair, becoming comfortable enough to dump a milkshake on New York midfielder John Rooney’s head in retaliation for an earlier prank.

“After that [prank], there was kind of a truce called,” Schneider said with a laugh. “All the guys on the team are really nice and really helpful. And, you know, everyone’s in it together on the team, so I don’t feel uncomfortable there or nervous when I’m playing. I think that’s what’s made the transition the easiest.”

The milkshake incident was typical of Schneider, who teammates and coaches alike say is a source of levity when the need arises. But when it’s time to go to work, he’s serious about training hard and getting better.

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“Getting in the weight room, getting stronger ... that’s something he can control,” Red Bulls individual development coach and former defender Mike Petke said. “If he’s going to be the type of player that I see him being, [he has to put] the extra work in.

“[On Tuesday] after practice ... we were working on his first touch and distribution out of the back,” Petke added. “It’s very comforting to a coach not having to seek him out to do that but his coming to me.”

Petke stressed that he did not control whether or not Schneider was selected for first team duty but said that the departure of starting left back Roy Miller for this summer’s Gold Cup could provide the former Tiger with an opportunity to make his MLS debut.

“I think I would feel comfortable if I was given a chance,” Schneider said. “[Playing professionally] is something I’ve always wanted to do with my life ... I think if I’m given a chance, I can show what I can do.”